Two years after Units 3 and 4 entered commercial operation, the $36.8 billion Plant Vogtle expansion continues to shape Georgia Power rates and the state's energy politics. Customers are still paying recovery charges tied to the construction program, and the project remains the reference point in every Georgia Public Service Commission proceeding involving new generation.
Georgia Power reached an agreement with commission staff to hold base rates steady through the end of 2028, though customer bills can still move in 2026 through fuel and other adjusting mechanisms outside the base rate freeze.
The commission's December decision approving a large new generation program drew a challenge in January 2026, when several environmental organizations asked the PSC to reconsider. That program covers close to 10,000 megawatts of new gas-fired capacity, battery storage, and solar, carrying a stated capital cost of $16 billion. Intervenors argued the lifetime cost to ratepayers could reach $50 billion to $60 billion once fuel and financing are counted.
Vogtle Units 3 and 4 remain the only new large reactors completed in the United States in a generation, and they operate in Burke County under Georgia Power and Southern Company. Their output performance, capacity factor, and contribution to grid reliability during summer peaks continue to be reported in commission filings.
Source: The Current - https://thecurrentga.org/2026/05/12/two-years-after-completion-plant-vogtle-still-looms-over-the-nuclear-debate/